Executive Director, Network, Data Center and Communications Services - Computing Services

Carnegie Mellon University; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition remission

Free Pittsburgh Regional Transit pass

Extensive retirement options

Paid time off & holidays

Healthcare options

Job summary

Carnegie Mellon University seeks a technology leader to drive the network, data center, and communications services supporting the university's academic, research, and administrative missions. You will lead a team responsible for critical infrastructure, balancing operations with automation and cloud initiatives to improve reliability and service quality.

Your role reports to the Assistant Vice President for Infrastructure Services, guiding directors and senior experts while aligning

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in enterprise networking, data centers, IT infrastructure, or related technology services, including leading managers and senior technical contributors.
• Experience leading architectural, technical, and organizational change to advance standardization, automation, and service delivery without sacrificing reliability.
• Experience with operational resilience, service management, financial planning, strategic sourcing, vendor management, and contract negotiation.
• Experience negotiating complex, high-value vendor contracts and managing strategic network provider agreements.
• Ability to discuss technical issues with engineers, frame choices for executives, and build productive relationships with technical and nontechnical collaborators.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a cohesive, multi-year strategy across the portfolio, including infrastructure architecture, software platforms, management, and automation.
• Build automation into the operating model through consistent configuration management, standard interfaces, observability, and shared automation platforms and practices.
• Ensure services are secure, scalable, sustainable, and reliable while continuously improving how they are operated and delivered.
• Collaborate with IT and campus partners to establish clear service standards and improve resource management, availability, performance, incident response, and lifecycle management.
• Develop reusable capabilities that enable teams to consume infrastructure consistently, automate processes, and innovate more quickly.
• Negotiate major vendor contracts, SLAs, and pricing for enterprise networking and services in your portfolio.
• Lead architecture, capacity, resilience, sustainability, and capital planning across the portfolio.
• Set direction for the organization, develop leaders and technical talent, and foster a culture of accountability and engineering rigor.
• Lead organizational and operational changes required to expand automation at scale while maintaining reliability of critical services.
• Establish priorities and make decisions balancing institutional needs, technology, risk, service quality, staffing, and cost.
• Provide financial stewardship and oversee strategic vendor relationships.
• Represent the portfolio in university planning, governance, and major institutional initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Enterprise networking

Data centers

IT infrastructure

Vendor management

Contract negotiation

Automation

Cloud & hybrid

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

As a technology leader at Carnegie Mellon University, you will provide executive leadership for the network, data center, and communications services that support the university’s academic, research, and administrative missions. You will lead an organization responsible for critical infrastructure and services, balancing operational excellence with the continued evolution of how those services are designed, delivered, and managed. Building on a strong technology foundation, supported by sustained investment and regular technology refreshes, the next phase of that evolution is an automation-first operating model spanning university-operated, hosted, and cloud environments. The goal is to make services more consistent, scalable, and easier to deliver while preserving the reliability and service quality the university depends on. Your leadership will be central to that transition. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Infrastructure Services, you will lead directors and senior technical experts and engage closely with IT teams and university partners to align capabilities, investments, and service delivery with evolving institutional needs.

What You’ll Do:

• Develop and implement a cohesive, multi-year strategy across the portfolio, including infrastructure architecture, software platforms, management, and automation.
• Build automation into the operating model through consistent configuration management, standard interfaces, observability, and shared automation platforms and practices.
• Ensure services are secure, scalable, sustainable, and reliable while continuously improving how they are operated and delivered.
• Collaborate with IT and campus partners to establish clear service standards and improve resource management, availability, performance, incident response, and lifecycle management.
• Develop reusable capabilities that enable teams to consume infrastructure consistently, automate processes, and innovate more quickly.
• Negotiate major vendor contracts, service level agreements (SLAs), and pricing for enterprise networking and services in your portfolio.
• Lead architecture, capacity, resilience, sustainability, and capital planning across the portfolio, including determining the right balance of university-operated, hosted, and cloud infrastructure and services to meet evolving institutional needs.
• Set direction for the organization, develop leaders and technical talent, and foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and engineering rigor.
• Lead the organizational and operational changes required to expand automation at scale while maintaining the reliability of critical services.
• Establish priorities and make decisions within delegated authority, balancing institutional needs, technology, risk, service quality, staffing, and cost.
• Provide financial stewardship and oversee strategic vendor relationships.
• Represent the portfolio in university planning, governance, and major institutional initiatives.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Significant progressive leadership experience (10+ years) in enterprise networking, data centers, IT infrastructure, or related technology services, including leading managers and senior technical contributors.
• Demonstrated success leading architectural, technical, and organizational change to advance standardization, automation, and service delivery without sacrificing the reliability, availability, and stability of critical infrastructure services.
• Experience with operational resilience, service management, financial planning, strategic sourcing, vendor management, and contract negotiation.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating complex, high-value vendor contracts and managing strategic network provider agreements.
• Ability to discuss technical issues with engineers, frame choices for executives, and build productive relationships with technical and nontechnical collaborators and partners.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or equivalent advanced experience.
• Experience in higher education, research computing, or another complex, distributed organization.
• Experience leading infrastructure automation at scale, including infrastructure as code, software‑defined and intent‑based networking, configuration management, observability, service APIs and interfaces, and hybrid cloud and hosting environments.

Why Carnegie Mellon?

We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and diverse environment. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. We support equal opportunity and value diversity within our staff. As an equal opportunity employer, we provide reasonable accommodations for the application process, job duties, and employment benefits. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Benefits:

• Our benefits philosophy emphasizes Choice, Control, and Well‑being.
• We have excellent retirement and healthcare options, as well as tuition remission for employees and dependents.
• Comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance as well as a generous retirement savings program with employer contributions.
• Tuition benefits.
• Paid time off and observed holidays.
• Life and accidental death and disability insurance.
• Free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass.
• Family Concierge Team to help navigate childcare needs.
• Fitness center access.

At Carnegie Mellon, we value the whole package when extending offers of employment. Beyond credentials, we evaluate the role and responsibilities, your valuable work experience, and the knowledge gained through education and training. We appreciate your unique skills and the perspective you bring. Your journey with us is about more than just a job; it’s about finding the perfect fit for your professional growth and personal aspirations.

Location Pittsburgh, PA

Job Function IT Management

Position Type Staff – Regular Full Time/Part time Full time Pay Basis